Whether your quitting your job or taking the office on the road and working remotely, the freedom of travelling full time is exciting.
You can go where ever, when ever you like. Your day’s can be filled with exhilarating mountain hikes, relaxing by the beach or exploring the nooks and crannies of a new city.
However is the reality full time travel really all you think it is going to be?
Here are some of the expectations we had before began our adventure:
“Everyday is going to be filled with excitement and adventure”
WRONG! Yes, the first few weeks or months are filled with excitement and adventure almost everyday. The freedom of travel is still a new concept. However, traveler burn out happens!
When you are on the go all day everyday it is only natural for your body to get worn out. After awhile you will want to spend a day or two chilling out and doing absolutely nothing, and that is ok.
At the beginning when we started spending a day or two each week doing nothing and we were feeling guilty. We were on the other side of the world in a new city and all we want to do is nothing. After awhile when we were planning our destinations and booking accommodation we started booking an extra few days to allocate some time to recharge our batteries.
So when we visited Ho Chi Minh City we knew we only needed three days to explore as it was our second time to visit. However we booked for 5 nights to allow ourselves 2 days to do nothing.
“I am going to do every activity in every city I travel to”
Well, if you have just won the lotto, than yes you probably will be doing every activity. However, if your a regular traveller then chances are you will not be doing every activity possible.
Unfortunately, when we travel our bank accounts are rapidly shrinking. So going skydiving one day, scuba diving the next followed by a Michelin star meal isn’t really sustainable for long term travel.
Instead make a list of the top activities you want to do when you travel, set some money aside to allow yourself to do it. Prioritise what you want to do. Remember you can always come back another time and do the activities you missed out on.
“I am going to get that famous Insta shot”
Yeah…so because that ‘Insta shot’ is so ‘Insta famous’ everybody else goes there too. If you want that photo, expect to queue for possibly hours with the crowds of people who are also there for that ‘Insta shot’.
Instead try going off the beaten path. Go on an adventure and discover those waterfalls, beaches or mountain view that are less known to tourists.
“I never get sick”
Umhumm…you haven’t spent long enough in South East Asia then. Traveling and food poisoning pretty much go hand in hand.
When your body is exposed to new bacterias or when your food is prepared in not the most hygienic of surroundings, its is inevitable. The only cure is locking yourself away in a hotel room for 2-3 days and waiting for it to pass.
“Surviving off free wifi will be fine”
Thats what we thought that and we were wrong! We did manage to survive for 4 out of our 6 months of backpacking Asia and Australia without our own wifi. It was not easy!
We did not realise how reliant we were on apps such as Google Maps, Uber/Grab, and booking sights such as Agoda. Free wifi in hostels, Starbucks, shopping centres or airports can be unreliable and a lot of the time painfully slow.
Share your travel expectations vs reality in the comments below.
Are you following us on Instagram? CLICK HERE to keep up to date on our travel adventures.
Enter your email below to ensure you never miss a blog again:
To The Airport...And Beyond 
Totally agree, it’s important to be kind to yourself and to top up your battery.
LikeLiked by 1 person
prepare for the worst, hope for the best! great post. I do short term travel these days compared to what I used to do, and i don’t try to stretch as much out of a small daily budget nowadays so I tend to really plan and budget in detail and if there’s something I really want to do that is expensive, I will hopefully be able to book in advance. i still think the biggest hit to your reality comes when you see hotel rooms you think were going to be really nice and the online photos just don’r relate to your in room reality!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice! I didn’t know you had a blog too! I can’t find the like button though 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person